Apple Could Be Moving iPhones To OLED By 2018

Long overdue change or wishful thinking? Chances are, Apple fans, particularly those who pay much attention to technical details such as this, might be split over this latest rumor. According to Japanese site Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, the Cupertino-based tech company is planning to launch iPhones with OLED screens in 2018, which would be named the iPhone 8, with Japanese display maker JDI said to be in talks to be Apple's supplier when that time comes around. That is, of course, it if comes around at all.

There is still some debate about which display technology is ultimately the best display technology. In one corner sits LCD, still the most ubiquitous and therefore most supported. It also boasts a longer lifetime, better bright light visibility, and, just as important, cheaper to make.

On the other hand, OLED, which is flaunted by the likes of Samsung, LG, and Japan Display Inc (JDI), boasts of greater power efficiency, brighter colors, and blacker blacks. And because it does not require that much power to display black colors, it can do some tricks, like "waking up" only a portion of the screen or "faking" a blank screen with a black overlay, all without draining the battery.

So far, Apple has resisted jumping into the OLED bandwagon that its rivals are riding in all but one device. Given the resource constraints of a wearable device, Apple has finally opted to use an OLED display on the Apple Watch. Its experience with the technology might have convinced It to make the switch. Eventually.

Even if the rumor were true, it won't be after two more iPhone iterations before Apple finally goes from LCD to OLED. It was practically perfected its LCD screens, so it's not that surprising not to see Apple rushing in that direction. By then, however, the mobile landscape might have shifted towards foldable and flexible devices, which is another thing that OLED displays are apparently good at.

VIA: Apple Insider